Rust-Oleum Championship: Nate Lashley honors his parents through golf

Nate Lashley watches his shot after teeing off at the Rust-Oleum Championship on Thursday, June 9, at Ivanhoe Club. Lashley's parents and girlfriend were killed in a 2004 plane crash.

Nate Lashley watches his shot after teeing off at the Rust-Oleum Championship on Thursday, June 9, at Ivanhoe Club. Lashley's parents and girlfriend were killed in a 2004 plane crash. (Mark Kodiak Ukena / Pioneer Press)

Nate Lashley kept his words to a minimum and spoke softly when recalling the toughest time of his life.

Competing in the Rust-Oleum Championship at Ivanhoe Club on Thursday, June 9, Lashley still had a difficult time talking about when his parents were killed in a small plane crash on May, 23, 2004. At the time, Lashley was a junior at Arizona. His parents, Rod and Charlene, had just watched him at the NCAA West Regional in Sunriver, Ore.

When Nate returned to the Tucson campus, he began to worry when he had yet to hear from his parents, who had boarded a small airplane bound for their hometown of Scottsbluff, Neb.

Three days later, Nate found out that his parents and girlfriend, Leslie Hofmeister, were killed in a plane crash near Gannett Peak in Wyoming. Investigators believed poor weather was to blame.

Lashley was 21 years old at the time of his parents' death. Now 33, He is attempting to earn his PGA Tour card.

"It was a huge part of my life," Lashley said. "It was pretty tough for quite a while, definitely for a few years. I tried to use golf in college as something to do other than always think about it. Golf is very mental. It was difficult to play and tough because you always are going to think about it."

Lashley said his dad got him started playing golf when he was 7 or 8. His parents were avid golfers. Lashley is still pursuing his dream of playing golf professionally, and thus keeping a connection with his parents.

"I just liked to play golf when I was young and I could go out there all day, hang out and play," Lashley said.

Lashley said he does not have any children but has thought about hanging up his golf cleats to settle for a desk job. But the allure of playing golf continues to drive him on a daily basis.

"I've been playing golf for a long time," he said. "I try not let it be my whole life, but it's a huge part. The ultimate goal is to hopefully make the PGA Tour. I've had a few small wins. I like the competitive part. When you are playing well, it's a lot of fun. When you are not, it's pretty brutal."

In order to get into the Rust-Oleum Championship field, Lashley had to play in one of two local qualifiers on Monday, June 6. He blew away the field with a 7-under 65 at Pine Meadow Golf Club in Mundelein.

Lashley spent most of 2015 on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica, where he made the cut 13 times in 17 tournaments and finished third twice. He's also won a number of smaller events, including the Waterloo Open (twice), the Colorado Open, Wyoming Open and Utah Open. He's made the cut in three Latinoamerica events this year but has missed the cut in both Web.com Tour outings so far. He shot a 1-over 73 on Friday, June 10, to miss the Rust-Oleum cut by two strokes.

"Yeah, at times I've thought about quitting or taking time off, but once you do that, you realize you won't be playing golf," Lashley said. "This is better than a desk job."

Lashley has not yet achieved his professional goals, but through the years, he's proven to be a fighter and capable of overcoming adversity. Lashley overcame the tragic passing of his parents by becoming an elite golfer at Arizona. He was named honorable mention on the 2005 PING Division I All-American team and turned pro upon his graduation.

His youthful appearance belies some of the hardships Lashley has endured since his parents died. Competing in tournaments where the majority of the competitors are younger than him, Lashley said he's learned many lessons along the way.

"It puts some perspective on life because you never know what's going to happen," Lashley said. "It makes golf a little easier from looking at the perspective that golf isn't such a big deal.

"That never seems to be the case. It never seems to get easier. I try not to let it daily affect my life and be as difficult, but you have to fight through it. It happens to a lot of people. You have to keep fighting."